Moving on
by bhamv
Summary: Claire, Leon, and Sherry have survived the horrors of Raccoon City, and their adventures caused Claire to develop feelings for Leon. His heart, however, lies elsewhere, lies with a woman he fears dead... A word from the Author now posted
1. Visitors to the heart

Moving On

Chapter one – Visitors to the heart

Message from the author:  This story takes place immediately after the end of Resident Evil 2.  Leon, Claire and Sherry have survived their night in the zombie-infested Raccoon City and found their way to safety.  

*****

The shelter was simple and effective, made of concrete and split into four rooms – a front living area, a bathroom, and two bedrooms.  The living area served as kitchen, dining room, foyer, and recreational area, with a table, chair, and stove, while the bedrooms were small and functional – a narrow cot in each chamber along with a few bare shelves.  Stacked inside the front room were tools and supplies of every kind, including weapons, but everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, indicating how long it had been since the shelter had been inhabited.  

Suddenly a knock on the door disturbed the tranquillity and stillness of the shelter, and then the doorknob was tested.  It was found to be unlocked, and the narrow front door was pushed open, revealing three figures in the dawning sunshine.  Holding the doorknob was a young police officer, in uniform, named Leon Kennedy.  Behind him stood a young woman named Claire Redfield, wearing a black and pink motorbiking outfit.  Claire held the hand of a blonde girl, no older than twelve or thirteen years old, who was dressed in a schoolgirl sailor uniform, her eyes alert and wide with curiosity.  This was Sherry Berkin, daughter of William and Annette Birkin, the couple whose genius had destroyed an entire city – Raccoon City.  Leon and Claire were covered in dust, soot, sewage, and blood, while Sherry looked remarkably clean in contrast, her uniform still white and mostly unstained.  

"Looks like we found an emergency Umbrella Corporation shelter."  Leon said, cautiously stepping inside.  Claire and Sherry followed, glancing nervously around them before sighing in relief.  "It should be safe here, let's rest up."  Leon continued.  He pushed the doors of the bedrooms open slowly, as if he was expecting something to leap out of them, and his shoulders relaxed noticeably when his fears were proven unfounded.  Turning back to the girls, he managed a small grin.  "So which room do you girls want?"

Claire smiled tiredly back, pointing to the door closer to her.  "That one will do fine.  Sherry, why don't you go and try to get some rest.  I'll try to prepare something for us to eat."  Sherry glanced up at Claire nervously, then nodded, releasing Claire's hand from her own tight grip and walking slowly into the bedroom, collapsing onto the thin bed without bothering to remove her shoes.  Almost immediately, she fell asleep.  

"Poor girl, she's exhausted."  Claire said, staring sympathetically at Sherry's slumbering figure.  

"Hey, I don't feel much better myself."  Leon said, plopping down onto one of the chairs that surrounded the table.  Gingerly, he placed his hand over the bullet wound in his shoulder, where Annette had shot him.  It was barely hours ago, and yet it felt like a lifetime of fighting and fear had passed in the meantime.  His fingers brushed over the bloodstained bandages that were wrapped tightly around his torso, and he immediately thought of Ada Wong.  

"Ada…"  Leon whispered, his eyes filling with tears and getting a faraway look, recalling the beautiful woman in the red dress, who he had gone through life and death with.  Claire sat down beside him and put her hand on his shoulder, her touch startling him somewhat.  

"What's the matter, Leon?  Who's Ada?"  Claire asked softly, her large brown eyes gazing upon Leon's handsome face.  

"Ada… was someone I met at the police station, while we were trying to get out.  We went through a lot together, and she was so strong… I had never seen anyone, anyone at all, anything like her.  She was… special."  Leon said, glancing back at Claire, his tone betraying just how strongly he felt for Ada.  

Claire licked her lips and drew back almost imperceptibly.  "Was special?"  She asked, her voice emphasizing the first word.  

Leon stared at the tabletop and nodded glumly.  "She… she sacrificed her life for me, Claire.  There was this huge thing, and it was coming after me… and she went after it… and… and… it…"  He broke down, unable to continue, tears streaming down his face as his hands were clenched into tight fists.  Claire wrapped her arms around him soothingly, holding his shaking body tightly to hers, making soft shhing sounds as Leon cried in loss and pain.  Finally, his sobs subsided and he regained his composure, relaxing in Claire's embrace and holding her hand in his in silent thanks.  

Letting Leon go, Claire stood up and walked over to the stove, pulling open a nearby cabinet.  The cupboard was filled with canned food, along with a few pots, pans, and eating utensils.  Grabbing a pan and a few cans, Claire said, "I'll cook us something to eat, then we can get some rest too and figure out what to do next."  She turned back to Leon and found him gazing at her, his eyes staring into hers.  Claire suddenly found herself bashful and looked away, blushing slightly.  Leon also glanced aside and cleared his throat, seemingly embarrassed as well.  "I… uh… I hope you don't mind some, er, some beans…"  She stuttered, digging around noisily in the cupboard.  "I hope they have a can opener somewhere in here, otherwise we're going to have a bit of a problem…"  

"There, it's over there."  Leon said behind her.  Claire turned around to see him pointing at a silver can opener lying next to the stove.  Their eyes met again and once more Claire felt herself blush like a schoolgirl.  Stammering out a thanks, she grabbed the can opener and fumbled with it noisily, trying to pry open a tin of baked beans.  

Claire grit her teeth as she slowly opened the can, silently cursing herself for making a fool out of herself in front of Leon.  Hearing a soft whimpering sound, she glanced at Sherry's sleeping form through the bedroom doorway, grateful for a distraction.  "Poor girl, she must be having a nightmare…"  Claire said sympathetically, before Leon cut her off abruptly.  

"Claire, quiet… listen…"  Leon said, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration.  Claire glanced at him then peered back at Sherry, and her eyes widened in realization.  Sherry was sleeping peacefully, showing no signs of having a nightmare.  The soft whining sound was not coming from Sherry at all, but from the front door of the shelter.  Getting quickly to his feet, Leon grabbed a shotgun and a couple of shells from a weapon rack on the wall, loading the weapon in a quick move.  Claire joined him, drawing her pistol from her hip holster and holding it ready.  Without the sounds of the can opener, she could clearly hear a soft whimpering sound from outside the door, along with heavy breathing.  Suddenly, something half-knocked and half-scratched at the wood of the front door, startling both Leon and Claire and making them jump.  

"Who is it?"  Leon demanded loudly, holding his weapon ready.  A low moan answered him, a moan of pain and exhaustion.   Stepping forward cautiously, Leon gestured at Claire to cover him, and she pointed her firearm at the door in readiness, her finger hovering over the trigger.  Leon placed his hand on the knob cautiously and pulled the door open, flooding the shack with sunlight.  A body tumbled through the open doorway and fell to the concrete floor, surprising them both and almost making Claire fire in reflex.  Pointing her gun down at the prone figure, Claire realized it was a woman, dressed in a tight dark red dress and black stockings.  She was covered in blood and her clothes were torn and dishevelled, and her face was pale and matted with blood.  She looked more dead than alive.  

"Oh my god…"  Leon said in a hoarse whisper, lowering his gun in surprise and kneeling before the woman.  Her eyes were shut but she was visibly breathing, her breaths shallow and rasping.  Gently, almost tenderly, Leon took one of her hands in his and held it, his blue eyes never leaving the face of the fallen woman.  Slowly her eyes opened and focused on Leon, recognition and joy spreading over her face.  

"Leon… it's you …"  She whispered, then coughed, her body shaking with each hack.  

Leon beamed with joy, and whispered back, "Yes, Ada… it's me… is it really you?"  

Claire lowered her gun in surprise, her own eyes widening as she realized who the woman on the floor of the shack was.  "Ada?"  She whispered to herself, completely stunned.  She looked from Leon to Ada, watching them smile tenderly at one another while gazing into each other's eyes.  Staggering back, she collapsed into a chair and simply stared.  

*****

Thanks for reading this far!  Please let me know what you think!  -Bhamv


	2. Challenges to the heart

Moving On

Chapter two – Challenges to the heart

Message from the author:  Sorry about the delay in posting this chapter, I've been away from the internet all summer.    

*****

Leon scooped up Ada's crumpled body into his strong arms, wincing in empathy when she gasped softly in pain.  Glancing at Claire, he said pleadingly, "Help me out, Claire, let's get her to the bed."  Claire leapt from her seat and rushed into the empty bedroom, hurriedly arranging a pillow and blanket onto the cot and holding the door open for Leon to carry Ada into the room.  Gingerly setting the wounded woman down upon the narrow bed, Leon ran back out and grabbed the first-aid kit from a shelf in the kitchen.  Prying it open, he snatched a bottle of disinfectant and a roll of bandages from the box while he rejoined Claire and Ada.  As he dashed past Claire, Leon looked into her eyes with a beseeching expression and asked, "Can you help and get some water from the kitchen, Claire?  And a clean cloth?"  

Claire nodded and hurried back into the front kitchen, grabbing a large metal cooking pot and putting it under the tap.  She then rushed into the bathroom and spied a small stack of thin white towels on a shelf beside the shower, each with a small Umbrella logo in the corner.  Grabbing the top one, she dashed back to Leon with the cloth and pot of water.  

Leon was just putting down a pair of scissors, having cut most of Ada's dark red dress away from her body, leaving her dressed in a black lycra sports bra and her stockings.  The steel blades of the tool were now scarlet with fresh blood, and Leon's hands and forearms were dyed crimson as well.  Pulling the ruined clothing from her body and tossing it aside, Leon and Claire could now see the full extent of Ada's wounds.  Two deep horizontal gouges were visible on each shoulder, indicating she had been clawed across her back, the cuts still oozing blood and staining the sheets of the bed.  Her left leg was visibly broken in many places, while the rest of her body was covered in scrapes, cuts, bruises and swellings.  Whether she had any other fractures was not yet clear.  

"My god…"  Claire whispered, "What happened to her?"

Leon did not immediately answer, instead gesturing at Claire for the water and towel in her hands.  Handing the items over, Claire watched for a moment as Leon began to clean Ada, tenderly and carefully.  He ran the wet cloth over her pale skin, washing away the blood and dirt from her body, slowly and thoroughly, like a sculptor or painter delicately treating a work of art.  Suddenly finding herself unable to watch any more, Claire mumbled something about checking on Sherry and backed out of the room.  

Claire tiptoed into the other bedroom, where Sherry was lying upon her side on the small bed, and sat down silently on the foot of the cot, right beside Sherry's feet.  She stared at the blank wall across from her for a few minutes before giving a long sigh.  

"You like him, don't you?"  Claire suddenly heard Sherry ask, quietly.  She gave a start and looked at Sherry, who was awake and staring back at her.  Sherry's eyes were watchful and deep, and it was moments like this that reminded Claire that Sherry may be young, but she was not nearly as naïve and innocent as she may appear.  

Claire blinked a few times before answering, "What?  N…no, what are you talking about?"  

Sherry did not immediately reply, instead flipping over to lie on her back, her eyes staring up at the ceiling.  "It's ok, I know how you feel.  There was this guy at school, Brandon, who I liked too.  Except he liked another girl, Lauren."  She turned her eyes back to Claire's.  "Lauren used to be my friend, but after I found out they liked each other I didn't talk to her much any more."  

Claire stared back at Sherry's expressionless face.  "And how are they doing now?"  

Sherry stared back up at the ceiling.  "I don't know.  Dead, I guess."  She gave a small sigh and closed her eyes.  "Just like everyone else in Raccoon City."  

Claire suddenly felt a surge of resentment and anger rise in her, and her cheeks flushed pink.  Yes, everyone else in Raccoon was dead, with the notable exception of one woman, a woman called Ada.  Of all people who should have died, she had deserved it most, right?  And yet that woman had survived…

Claire shook her head, clearing her mind of the rage that had consumed her.  She didn't know anything about Ada, except for what Leon had told her.  And from what Leon had said, that lady certainly didn't sound like someone who deserved death.  And yet… the way Ada and Leon looked at each other, the way Leon had cleaned her so… so lovingly…  Claire buried her face in her hands, sighing deeply through gritted teeth.  She stood suddenly, and said, "Try to get some more sleep, Sherry.  I'll cook something to eat."  

Claire made sure not to look into Ada's room as she busied herself in the kitchen, cooking noisily with the pots and pans available.  The shelter was not extremely well equipped, but the culinary utensils were enough to make a simple meal of beans and canned meats.  The sounds and smells of the cooking soon roused Sherry, who emerged from her room and sat down at the kitchen table, eating her breakfast quietly.  Claire sat across from the younger girl, watching her scoop the beans into her mouth hungrily, and wondered when Sherry had last enjoyed a proper meal.  Probably before the siege of Raccoon City began, Claire thought to herself.  

Glancing up from her plate, Sherry looked at Claire quizzically and asked, "Aren't you hungry, Claire?"  

Claire shook her head.  She had not eaten for more than a day either, and the exertions of her night in the zombie-infested city certainly hadn't helped her energy levels, but she simply had no appetite.  In fact, she had been planning on taking a late dinner at the diner in Raccoon City when she saw her first zombie, crouched over a corpse on the floor and devouring it.  A tiny smile curled the edges of Claire's lips as she realized the irony, which only deepened Sherry's confused expression.  

"Thanks honey, but I just don't feel like eating right now."  Claire answered.  Sherry gave a small nod and turned back to her plate, spooning more beans into her mouth.  Claire stood up and filled two more plates with food, saying, "I'll go see if they want anything to eat in there."  She nodded towards the door of the room occupied by Ada and Leon as she picked up the plates.  

Holding a platter of food in each hand, balancing them carefully like a waitress, Claire stepped slowly into Ada's room, saying, "Hey guys, I was wondering if you were hungry…"  She trailed off as she noticed no one seemed to be paying attention to her.  Leon was sitting silently beside the bed, upon which Ada appeared to be asleep, and he was holding her hand in his.  Ada's chest was now wrapped in layers of clean white bandages, and Claire suddenly realized that meant Leon had cut the bra off, noticing the garment piled atop the stained and ruined red dress on the floor.  

Leon stared at Ada's beautiful serene face with an entranced expression on his own, completely unaware of another presence in the room.  Claire cleared her throat loudly and Leon jumped, startled, whirling around in his chair.  "Oh!  Claire, I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in…"  He said, blinking at her.  

"Ahem… I thought you guys might be… err… hungry, so I, um… I'll just leave these here, ok?"  Claire stammered, moving to set the two plates down on the bedside table.  Her hands were shaking hard and she almost spilled everything over Leon as the dishes clattered noisily onto the small surface.  Staring down at the slumbering woman, Claire fought back a vicious pang of regret that she did not poison Ada's share.  Stepping back, she took a deep shuddering breath as she looked at Leon, who looked back at her.  

"Thanks, Claire."  Leon said, throwing a small smile at her.  His handsome brow then furrowed slightly.  "Are you all right?  You look kind of flustered…"

"I'm… fine.  I'm fine, Leon."  Claire said, not very convincingly.  

"Are you sure?"  Leon asked, now looking quite concerned.  "Is everything ok?  Are you feeling all right?"  

Claire felt a strange sense of warmth flow through her as she realized how anxious Leon felt about her welfare, the feelings of resentment and anger vanishing completely.  She smiled at him and said, "I'm okay, Leon, really."  She then looked back at Ada, whose hand was still entwined with Leon's.  "How's she doing?"  

Leon's brow knitted further as he turned to Ada, sighing softly.  "Not too good, to be honest.  She's bleeding internally, and her leg's hurt pretty badly.  I think the leg took most of the force when that… that thing… threw her into the control panel."  Leon said, gesturing towards the broken leg hidden under the covers of the bed.  "I've done what I could to set the bones in her leg, and wrap up her wounds, but I don't think that's going to be enough…"  Leon trailed off, his voice husky with worry.  

"Oh my…"  Said Claire, running her gaze over the broken body on the bed.  

"That's not all.  I doubt we can move her anywhere without making her internal wounds worse.  And even if we do move her, I don't think we can get her anywhere useful, not without a car or something."  Leon said, his expression growing increasingly morose.  He pointed to an empty syringe on the bedside table.  "I gave her some painkillers, to help her rest… but now…"  A sombre silence fell in the room as Leon sighed and trailed off.  

Claire stared down at Ada's sleeping face, pale but peaceful, a stark contrast to Leon's worried and frustrated expression.  Leon was right, Ada's situation was very bleak.  She glanced at Leon's face again and sighed softly, coming to a decision.  

"I'll go for help, Leon.  You stay here with Ada and Sherry."  Claire announced.  Leon whirled around and leapt to his feet as his face broke into a wide smile.  

"You will?  That'll be great, Claire, that'll be just great!"  Leon said, almost yelling with joy and relief as he beamed at the brunette girl.  Then his face fell.  "But… how will you get to help?  The nearest town is at least ten miles away, and you can't exactly go back into Raccoon to get a ride…"  

Claire shook her head.  She had to do the right thing, she had to try and put her feelings aside and save Ada's life – and getting away from these two lovebirds was an additional attractive bonus.  "I'll walk, Leon.  Just hang in there, and keep her alive.  I'll be back as soon as I can."  Claire said quickly, turning around and preparing to set off.

A soft whisper rose from the bed, barely louder than a breeze but startling Leon and Claire nonetheless.  "No… no need."  

*****

Thanks for reading this far again!  I'd appreciate any reviews or comments! –Bhamv


	3. An announcement from the author

Hello readers, I know how much some of you were looking forward to the completion of this story, and I regret to have to make this announcement.  

This story will most likely not be finished, or even continued.  Like many other writers, I base my writing on events that take place in my life, putting the emotions that run through me into my writing.  The events that led to my writing this story are no longer happening, and I cannot realistically describe the situations and emotions in the story without real-life inspiration.  

Perhaps one day events will once again conspire to lead to a situation where this story will be continued.  When that day comes, rest assured Leon, Claire, Ada, and Sherry will come alive in my words once more.  

-Bhamv


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